Today we went out to support a cause very close to my heart. The Cincinnati Chapter of the National Canine Cancer Foundation held a fundraiser at MadTree in Oakley. I lost my 5-year-old Siberian husky, Jersey, to brain cancer earlier this year and used this event as an opportunity to celebrate his life while helping raise money for a great cause. As I found out earlier this year, a significant number of dogs are affected by cancer.

Did you know that 1 in 3 dogs get cancer? Did you know canine cures help people?Just by joining us for the Summer Series, together we generate awareness and dollars needed for ground-breaking research for cures and better treatments. Together – We Are The Cure!   -- National Canine Cancer Foundation 

The event, MadTree Dog Days, was open to both humans and dogs, so Zooey tagged along. It was actually really nice to see how she did in an environment with so much stimulation. There was a pretty good turnout - dogs and humans, alike. She did really well and was happy to greet every dog and dog owner that walked by.

MadTree Dog Days was the second of three events in the Cincinnati Chapter of the National Canine Cancer Foundation's Summer Paw Days. The third and final event will be held from 6 p.m. - 10 p.m. Friday, August 15 at WagsPark. Anyone interested in enjoying a night at the dog park is encouraged to join us!

Now that she has met a few dogs in the family and we were confident that she wasn't aggressive, we decided to take Zooey to the dog park for the first time. It's a great place to get her some socialization and to get some energy out.

We started off small, taking her to Schappacher Park in Mason - a park that I know doesn't get as busy as some of the other dog parks in the area. Zooey started off a little timid, but quickly gained some confidence when other dogs approached her. She isn't confident wrestling with other dogs yet, but she did have a good time running around with a few. She really enjoyed loved the opportunity to greet so many people.

After getting home from the park, Zooey was pretty tuckered out - a nice benefit of getting her to the park. We'll definitely be back at Schappacher Park a few more times before we start exploring more dog parks around Cincinnati.

        

We're official! After a great two weeks with her, I couldn't imagine not having Zooey around now. We went to sign the papers to make it official this morning, and although we are both exhausted (I could barely keep her awake long enough to take this picture), we're thrilled to have her as part of the family now. May the adventure begin.

After visiting her a few times at the shelter, Zooey left with me for a home visit (a trail adoption period). She was a little timid at first - scared of the car and stairs among other things - but soon began to feel comfortable around my apartment and found what are now her favorite places to play, lounge, and nap.

Her home visit lasted two weeks while we worked through some separation anxiety. With some work, we were able to work through her anxiety, proving that she is an intelligent, confident dog that is eager to please. All that was left was to sign her adoption contract to make it official.

A few months after losing my previous dog, Jersey, to cancer, I decided I was ready to have some life around my apartment again. I began searching for the right dog to adopt - fostering a few dogs along the way. Then I met Zooey. 

I heard about Save the Animals Foundation through a co-worker, and after perusing the rescue's website for a while, I had a feeling STAF would be the rescue to help me find the right dog. After filling out an application and going through a brief interview, I met several dogs (check out Dax, Dove and Dee Dee) before my adoption coordinator brought in Zooey. She was new to the rescue, so they didn't know a ton about her yet. Her floppy ears and positive disposition stole my heart pretty quickly. Here's what the rescue had to say about her:

(From Save the Animals Foundation) Marigold (now Zooey) was pulled from a kill shelter, the day before the warden was leaving for vacation and had plans to euthanize all the animals there. She was left in an overnight drop pen. We have such a hard time understanding why.

She is a very sweet and happy girl. A tad shy at first, she quickly gets over that and she becomes an affection hog. Marigold loves humans of all sizes. She also gets along really well with other dogs.